Is AS worse than cancer?

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Ive heard someone from another autism organization member said that asd is worse than cancer because cancer is temporary while asd is lifetime. I often wonder about his statements, When you have cancer people take pity on you, they raise funds for you to get better, they understand you, while if you have aspergers they label you as that unsociable a**hole at work or that weirdo who lives across the street its unfair, must all disabilities be visible? must you be confined in a wheelchair for people to take pity and understanding towards you?

The person who said it

I believe it was David Bardy from ASC and these are his exact words : "Autism is worse than cancer in many ways, because the person with autism has a normal lifespan."

Last edited by celebrei on 05 Oct 2012, 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Tell that to someone dying of cancer, or someone who lost someone close to them to cancer.

How in the hell did you get to this conclusion?

Chances are a whole bunch of people would trade cancer for Autism in their lives.

Hell, I don't even want to THINK of who I might be if I weren't an Aspie. It's a part of my identity, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. Who in the hell really wants to conform to what the hell is popular anyway?

That that person ever have cancer? Not to mention that there are tons of different kinds of cancer and tons of different stages of cancer. Yes, there are lower functioning and higher functioning forms of autism but I really really doubt that AS is worse than cancer. I've seen people suffering with cancer and it's not pretty. At least with AS you can adapt to some sort of lifestyle and make it a decent one. If you're dying of cancer, you're dying of cancer.

I don't believe that lie for a minute.

Yeah.

I think that I would rather be low functioning autistic for the rest of eternity than die of cancer

Having watched my Mother die slowly of cancer I can assure you that Asperger's is a positive gift in comparison!

Your post is in exceedingly bad taste in my opinion.

While I have often thought it would be easier to die than continue living, I don't think for a minute that it is better to have cancer than ASD. For one, a majority of people with cancer don't have a choice of life or death.

Please don't post things like that. We don't need to have such obvious lies repeated here.

Very bad choice of analogy in my opinion. I mean yeah it's hard not being able to easily explain AS to NT's and yeah it's hard that it's an invisible condition so people don't recognize it, but comparing it to cancer is a bit of stretch. Whatever happens we can still look forward to tomorrow with the vague hope that society's regard for us might change eventually, a cancer patient doesn't have that luxury.

Why compare suffering, anyway?

The problem a lot of people with Aspergers have is the tendency to wallow in self-pity and think that no one has it worse then them - I've been there myself believe me. It's fine for short periods but when it becomes a full-time occupation it's going to lead to stagnation and depression.
CBT, finding a voluntary job and then a part-time job have helped me overcome this negative mindset. You have to find a way of keeping yourself regularly occupied doing something you find interesting, useful and that involves a certain amount of social interaction with others.

I have Aspergers/HFA and my Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa all died of cancer.

I miss them terribly everyday and they loved me unconditionally.

If I could have them back I would gladly even if it meant that they had Autism too. My son was diagnosed with Autism. Would I rather he be diagnosed with cancer and have a whole community rally around us? No because I have support with him from my church, his Nanny, and the school. We have respite care a support group and he's got a scholarship for therapy.

We've received a lot of kindness and support. He's the light and joy of my life and it would leave me devastated to lose my sweet loving angel of a baby boy.

I believe it was David Bardy from ASC and these are his exact words : "Autism is worse than cancer in many ways, because the person with autism has a normal lifespan."

In this context it is, indeed, different but I still don't feel it is right to compare the two. Both have internally different symptoms and problems.